


Necessary Sacrifices

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Misses Clause Challenge, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-27 17:37:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2701502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a reason that Nebula hated Gamora least. But that didn't make them friends, either.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Necessary Sacrifices

**Author's Note:**

  * For [plinys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/plinys/gifts).



The training was always difficult, pitting one child against the other. The price of failure was starvation, freezing or overheating; winning meant that basic needs were met. The first time Nebula killed another trainee was an accident. She had been terrified that it would mean her death, but held her head up high and met her supervisor's gaze steadily. "He was weak," Nebula had said, not even pushing her black hair off of her sweaty neck. "That blow shouldn't have killed him."

"But it did," the supervisor said.

Oh, how her insides quaked and roiled, terror chilling her blood and spine. She was a corpse walking, black eyes and blue skin stretched tight over bones, only looking like a little girl. She was the last of her people; the other survivors of the raids slowly succumbed to starvation or cold when they couldn't train hard enough or hit hard enough to earn a meal. Nebula had watched them die one by one, by inches, pride endangering their lives. Pride wouldn't feed a starving mouth, warm a freezing body, or cool an overheated one.

She had played the game for months, and now a skinny, starving boy was dead at her feet.

But the supervisor smiled at her. "New accommodations for you. You've earned the right to your name now."

Nebula knew her name and kept it hidden in her heart these past few months. _You are my sea of stars,_ her mother used to say when putting her to bed. _My Nebula, my dear galaxy of grace. I love you._

The new dorms were smaller, the training more intense. She had learned early it was folly to cry when beaten in a match, but in these dorms it meant another beating as well as forfeiting the day's rations.

"It's good you don't cry," another girl said when she arrived. Nebula wasn't as skilled as this green skinned girl. "The rules are tighter, harder."

"They train us," Nebula replied carefully.

The green skinned girl nodded at Nebula, dark eyes solemn. Her dark green hair was pulled back. "Yes. But do you know why?"

Nebula looked at her in confusion, especially when the girl slipped her a portion of her rations. "No."

"We fight to be adopted. To be the children of Death."

There was no reply Nebula could make in response, but the girl didn't expect one. She moved back to her bunk as Nebula contemplated the protein strip in her palm. It would allow her to keep her strength up, to fight back in the training arena.

If need be, it would allow her to kill again.

Nebula nodded her thanks at the girl, ate quickly, then slept deeply. It seemed the girl was interested in an alliance of sorts. If it let her get ahead, Nebula could accommodate her.

***

The green skinned girl was named Gamora. She did have a ruthless streak if she wanted something, but Nebula couldn't figure out what that was. She did talk with others in the program, but didn't have a specific agenda that Nebula could figure out. She didn't often share food, but if she did, it seemed to be with those that she thought shouldn't have been punished. Gamora wasn't as strict about results as their observers, but she did berate those in practice she didn't think were pulling their own weight. "I won't save idiots," she would snarl, a blade held across their throats, eyes flashing. "So get up and _fight_ to live."

Nebula could agree with such a philosophy.

The elite fighters of this group would be advanced, would become part of Thanos' family. There would be no want, no starvation, no cold. To earn that would be a prize for the strong, the ruthless, those that could mete death and destruction to his liking.

It was the ultimate prize, and the more Nebula thought about it, the more she wanted it. _Needed_ it. She would earn security and a place to belong. She wouldn't be the one to die.

There was no need for Gamora to share rations once Nebula made that decision, and the two trained often. Gamora left her hair loose or tied back, but Nebula felt that her own locks got in the way. Showing great trust, Nebula gave Gamora a knife. "Cut it all off," she instructed.

Gamora did not abuse that trust. Nebula wasn't sure if she could say the same if their positions were reversed.

The true test seemed to come when their fights were scheduled. They had to defeat their opponents and would be scored accordingly. Gamora knocked hers out, standing above the unconscious body and cutting off her warrior's braid. It was a grave insult to the girl, a move Nebula approved of. She nodded at Gamora, and was surprised she didn't kill her. "You said defeat, not kill," Gamora announced to their observer. "It would be a waste of a good warrior and training. She needs more tempering, but can bring glory to the forces of Thanos."

Nebula was not so kind in her fight, but then, her opponent was also relatively inept and stumbled about while concussed. Her sword sliced Nebula's arm right off above the elbow. Furious, Nebula roared and fought even harder with her last staff, knocking the girl's head back. The crunch of her nose and cheekbones wasn't enough. With her remaining arm, Nebula seized the girl's monosword and sliced off her head before passing out from the blood loss.

Gamora was there when she regained consciousness in the medical wing. "We advance together," she said quietly. "They repaired you," she added, nodding at the cybernetic arm. "We will join the other daughters of Thanos."

"How many others with us from our group?" Nebula rasped.

"We were the only ones," Gamora replied.

"You're my only competition."

"Only if you want to compete," Gamora replied in a quiet tone. She kissed Nebula's cheek gently. "But it will be good to have allies. The tests don't end just because we have become daughters of Thanos."

"Tests never end," Nebula said, not really surprised.

"No, they do not," Gamora agreed.

"Why ally with me?"

"We both are the last of our kind. Both conscripted."

"I will be a good daughter. I will earn my place."

Gamora's smile was tinged with sadness. "Of course you will. You are skilled in combat."

But Nebula couldn't help but resent that Gamora fought easily, that her scores were higher. The woman never lorded it over her, never held her missing arm and points against her the way she should have.

Nebula hated her for it.

They weren't quite friends, weren't exactly sisters after that. But they were indeed allies, were indeed fellow combatants. Sometimes Nebula conspired with Gamora against the others, especially as she enhanced her body more and more with cybernetics. Her basic body structure couldn't handle training as hard as she did, as hard as Gamora did. That was why they died off so easily, why the planet was so quickly demolished.

She would never be so weak again, even if it meant destroying her allies, killing her new sisters and brothers, suborning her mortality for the enhancements.

They were all necessary sacrifices, and she made them all without regret.

The End


End file.
